Take shelter: U.S. embassy to citizens in Afghanistan ahead of Koran-burning protests planned for Friday

Koran-burning protest planned for Friday; U.S. embassy tells citizens in Afghanistan to take shelter

By Usman Sharifi

Americans were urged to stay off Afghanistan’s streets Friday with violence expected to escalate over the burning of Korans that has already led to 14 people being killed, including two U.S. soldiers.

On Thursday, U.S. President Barack Obama apologized for the burning of the Korans at a U.S. airbase north of Kabul, but it failed to stem three days of protests.

Violent anti-U.S. protests have seen furious Afghans attack French, Norwegian and American bases, shouting “death to America” after the Taliban exhorted their countrymen to kill foreign troops to avenge the incident.

‘U.S. citizens in Afghanistan should remain vigilant and avoid areas where Westerners congregate. Do not discuss travel plans or other personal matters with strangers, or in public. Be alert and aware of your surroundings, and always travel with mobile phones or appropriate communication equipment. The Embassy is carefully monitoring the situation and reviewing its security posture, and may send out additional emergency messages as the situation evolves’

In a letter of apology to Afghan President Hamid Karzai, Mr. Obama expressed “deep regret” over the incident that he said was unintentional, and pledged that those responsible would be held accountable, Kabul said.

“I extend to you and the Afghan people my sincere apologies,” Mr. Obama wrote in the letter presented to Mr. Karzai by U.S. ambassador Ryan Crocker.

“The error was inadvertent; I assure you that we will take the appropriate steps to avoid any recurrence, to include holding accountable those responsible.”

Mr. Karzai said a U.S. officer was responsible — “out of ignorance” — for the Koran burning at Bagram and the U.S. government had admitted the mistake, his office said.

The two Americans were shot dead when an Afghan soldier turned his weapon on them at their base in Khogyani in eastern Nangarhar province, said district governor Mohammad Hassan.

NATO’s U.S.-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said two of its service members were killed in the east but did not give their nationalities.

One Norwegian soldier was lightly injured when a grenade was thrown into a NATO camp in Maimana, capital of northern Faryab province, during a demonstration, the Norwegian army said.

At least three Afghans were also killed by gunfire at demonstrations in the south and east of the country, bringing the total death toll among protesters to 12 since Wednesday.

In Mihtarlam, the capital of Laghman province east of Kabul, thousands besieged the base of a U.S.-led military-civilian provincial reconstruction team (PRT), throwing rocks and climbing up the outer walls, police said.

About 2,000 protesters also tried to march on the French base in Kapisa, east of Kabul, but were pushed back by Afghan security forces, said regional police chief General Abdul Hameed Erken.

The Taliban, leading a 10-year insurgency against Mr. Karzai’s government, on Thursday sought to exploit the anti-American sentiment.

“You should bring the invading forces’ military bases under your brave attack, their military convoys, kill them, capture them, beat them and teach them a lesson that they will never again dare to insult the Holy Koran,” it said in a statement.

The Islamist movement was toppled in the 2001 U.S.-led invasion. NATO has some 130,000 troops, mainly Americans, supporting the Karzai government.

U.S. officials speaking on condition of anonymity said the military removed Korans from a prison at Bagram because inmates were suspected of using the holy book to pass messages to each other.